Cigarette package



Feb. 4, v1947. a. .1. TAMARIN CIGARETTE PACKAGE" Filed Dec} 3, 1942 4Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. azT'arnarcn Feb. 4, 1947. TAMARlN r 2,415,117

CIGARETTE PACKAGE Filed D80. 3, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 fl ney F I.INVENTOR.

jg ermrimnzarc'n a. J. TAMARIN CIGARETTE PACKAGE Filed Doc. 3, 1942 Feb.4, 1947.

4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Z 9 J an u V Feb. 1947- B. J. TAMARIN CIGARETTE PACKAGEFiled Dec. 3, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Feb." 4, 1947 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE CIGARETTE PACKAGE Bernard J. Tainarin, Flourtown, Pa.Application December 3, 1942, Serial No. 467,676 is Claims. (01.zoo-11.2)

The present invention relates to the packaging of articles, particularlythe packaging of cigarettes, and has for its primary object theprovision of a cigarette package having means capable of beingmanipulated to facilitate the opening of the package and Withdrawing ofcigarettes therefrom.

It is also a most important object of the invention to provide acigarette package wherein a flexible strip is associated with thepackage-forming material and with at least one of the cigarettesenclosed within the package so that, upon exerting an initial pull onsaid strip, a part of the package-forming material will be displaced toform a. restricted opening through which at least one of the cigaretteswill be ejected through the continued pulling action on the strip, thuspermitting the opening of the package, and removal of the cigaretteswithout danger of destroying the general good appearance of the packageor of mutilating the cigarettes being withdrawn.-

Another important object of the invention resides in the provision of acombined package opening and cigarette ejecting element which may beincorporated in the types of cigarette packages now commonly used in thetrade so that the invention may be readily utilized withoutnecessitating material changes in established and generally standardizedmethods of soft shell packaging of cigarettes.

According to the present general practice in the art, the popular typeof soft shell cigarette package consists of twenty cigarettes wrapped inpackage-forming sheet material shaped in the form of a shell into whichare introduced the twenty cigarettes arranged in three paralleling rows.Such packages are made in socalled automatic cigarette packagingmachines which automatically operate, among other things,-

to shape the package-forming sheet material into the package shell,gather the twenty cigarettes according to definite methods in threeparalleling rows, introduce the gathered cigarettes into thepre-shaped'package shell, close the package by folding portions of thepackage-forming material into tucks and overlapping flaps, and finallycomplete and seal the package by applying the usual Government revenuestamp transversely over said folded flaps.

Upon being ejected from the packaging machine per se, the completecigarette package passes through a final stage which wraps and seals thepackage in a sheet of transparent material (usually Cellophane) for thepurpose ofimproving the appearance of the package and, moreover,

(usually paper) other outer row, and seven cigarettes in theintermediate row, whereas in accordance with another method ofpackaging, the machine operates to provide seven cigarettes in each ofthe two outer rows and six cigarettes in the intermediate row. Theinvention may be used equally well with both of these methods and, forclarity and convenience herein, the package resulting from the firstmentioned method of packagin will be referred to as the 7-7-6 type ofcigarette package, whereas the package resulting from the secondmentioned method of packaging will-be referred to as the -7-6-7 type ofcigarette package.

In order that the invention and its mode of operation, may be morereadily understood by those skilled in the art, I have, in theaccompanying drawings and in the detailed description based thereupon,set out a-possible embodiment of the invention. 1

In these drawings:

Figures 1 through 6 are perspectives illustrating the successive stepsinproducing a cigarette package in accordance with the invention;

Figure 7 is a top plan of a 7-6-7 type of cigarette package; 7

Figure 8 is an enlarged diagrammatic detail of a package top showing therelation of the tuck, flaps, and stamp;

Figures 9 through 14 inclusive are perspectives respectivelyillustrating the successive steps in the operation of one form of theinvention as applied to the cigarette package;

Figure 15 is a perspective showing the appearance of the open package;

Figure 16 is a face elevation of a package-forming blank slightlymodified in accordance with this invention;

Figure 17 is a perspective of a cigarette package embodying the blankillustrated in Figure 16;

Figure 18 is a top plan of a 7-7-6 typeof cigarette package;

Figure 19- is a detail of a package top showing the tuck constructed inaccordance with a form of the invention particularly adaptable to the7-7-6 type of cigarette package;

Figures 20 through 26 are perspectives respectively illustrating thesuccessive steps in the onin the moisture 3 eration of that form of theinvention adaptable to the 7-7-6 type of cigarette package;

Figure 27 is aside elevation of a cigarette with the combined packageopening and cigarette ejecting element associated therewith;

Figures 28 and 29 are perspectives of a further modified form of theinvention and its mode of operation. I

Referring more particularly to the drawings wherein like characters ofreference will designate corresponding parts throughout, the packageshown is of conventional structure and it consists of a package shell Ienclosing the cigarettes 2 arranged in rows disposed in parallelrelationship, that is, two outer rows A and B respectively and anintermediate-row C. The package shell I is formed in the usual mannerfrom a blank of package-forming material conrelating the shell I shapedfrom the blank of package-forming material that a part thereof extends'beyond the normal upper extremities of the cigarettes 2, as moreclearly shown in Figure 3. This extended part is then folded to coversaid extremities of the cigarettes by tucking the opposite side portionsinwardly. against the extremities of the cigarette to form a pair oftucks 4 and provide a, pair of flaps 5' respectively extending from therear portion to the front portion of the package, which flaps are thenfolded in wardly in overlapping relation over the tucks.

Arranged about the outer side of the package is an outer cover 6preferably consisting of paper disposed to extend adjacent to, but notbeyond,

the package top and usually having printed thereon the brand name ortrade-mark. descriptive advertising, and similar data. The usualGovernment revenue stamp 1 is afllxed transversely of the overlappingflaps 5 thus sealing the same. A transparent wrapper 8, usually in theform of a sheet of Cellophane, is wrapped and sealed by means ofadhesive all around the package. A tearing tape 9 may be associated withthe Cellophane wrapper in the ordinary well known manner to facilitatethe opening of that portion iii of the wrapper located over the top ofthe package for opening the latter in the manner more clearly shown inFigures 9 and 20.

The package construction thu far described is that of the ordinarycigarette package now in common use and this general construction ispresent in each of the several forms of the invention disclosed herein.

In accordance with the invention, a flexible strip I l, preferably madeof Cellophane, is affixed by means of a suitable adhesive to at leastone of the cigarettes, preferably, although not necessarily, to theoutermost side of the cigarette 2c at one of the end of the intermediaterow C.

' By providing a wider strip, as shown in Figure 2,

it is possible to affix such a strip to two cigarettes, that is, thecigarette in at one end of the row A and the cigarette 2b at one end ofthe row B in the 7-6-7 type of package. In the 7-7-6 type of cigarettepackage, such a strip will be aflixed to the cigarette 2a at one end ofrow A and the cigarette 20 at one end of the row C.

In practice. and as illustrated in Figure 1, the

' strip ll may-be, and preferably is, attached to the cigarette or,cigarettes in the course of operation of the cigarette packaging machineat the stage of transference of the grouped cigarettes from thecigarette'gatherlng means into the preshaped shell. Thus the strip ll,being associated with the cigarette or cigarettes, is introduced intothe package shell I with the: cigarettes; as illustrated in Figure 2, sothat said strip extends in parallel relation to the adjacent tuckforming portion of the package, as shown in-Flgure 3. In this manner,upon formation of the tucks as illustrated in Figure 4, a section of thestrip becomes located between .the upper extremities of the cigarettesand the under side of the associated tuck, whereas upon folding of theflaps as indicated in Figure 5, the remaining section of the stripbecomes located between the upper .side of the said tuck and the underside of the overlapping fiaps, the free end of the strip being exposedat the corresponding side portion of the package. The Government revenuestamp I then act to effectively retain the package tuck 4, iiaps 5, andstrip I l in assembled relation, as illustrated in Figure 6.

Because of this construction, it will be understood that'when a pull isexerted on the strip, the package is opened in the manner to bespecifled more fully hereinafter to form an'opening through which thecigarette 2a or the cigarettes lines I! at a point in close proximity tothat one of the tucks 4 with whichthe strip is associated. It isparticularly to be noted that the weakened lines or slits I! start atthe edge l4 of the flaps 5 and extend diagonally with respect to theadjacent edge of'the stamp 1 to the edges l5 of the package top so as toterminate, as indicatedby the reference character It (Fig. 6), at theedge portions of the stamp intersecting the fold lines of the tuck 4 andadjacent to the leading edge I! of said tuck 4 (Fig. 4).

Instead of two weakened lines or slits l2, it is possible also toprovide but one, as indicated at Ila in Figure 16, by'folding the blanki8 of package-forming material in the manner indicated by lines I9, 20,2|, and 22 for the formation of the package shell la (Figure 1'1) sothat the edges .23 and 24 of said blank become located in diashown inFigures 16 and I! define separable sections 5" in the flaps 5.

From the foregoing description of the two forms of the inventionreferred to, it will be understood that when the portion III of the-Cellophane wrapper 8 is removed by means of the tearing strip 9 (Figure9) to expose the top of the package (Figure 10) the extended part of thestrip Il may be grasped and pulled (Figure 11). As represented in Figure12, the pulling of the strip ii causes the associated tuck 4 and thesections 5' of the'fiaps 5 to be lifted due to the provision of theweakened-line or slits I2 or because of the weakened line or slit I21:and overlapping edges 23 and 24 forming an opening for the free ejectionof the cigarette or cigarettes affixed to the strip ll Whereas the twoforms of packages thus far described are applicable to both 7-6-7 and7-7-6 types of cigarette packages, another form of the invention (thatshown in Figures 18 through 26) is particularly adaptable for the 7-7-6type. In this type of package, the cigarette 20 at the end of row C islocated directly beneath that portion of the overlying tuck 4 whichextends beneath the overlapping flaps 5. With such an arrangementtherefore, slitted, perforated, scored, or like weakened lines l2b maybe provided in said tuck, such lines extending from the corners 25 ofthe package to the leading edge ll of the tuck. Therefore, when theportion ID of the Cellophane wrapper 8 is torn away by means of thetearing strip 9 (Figure 20) to expose the topof the package (Figure 21)the extended part of the strip ll may be rasped and pulled (Figure 22).As represented in Figure 23, the pulling of the strip I I causes thetuck 4 to be lifted due to the provision of the weakened lines or slitsl2a, allowing the free ejection of the cigarette 2c aflixed to the strip(Figure 24). Subsequently the lifted tuck may be torn away from thepackage thus leaving a neat substantially triangular opening defined bythe folded edges 21 and 28 of the flaps and top edge 29 of the adjoiningpackage side through which opening the cigarettes may substantially beextracted.

The cigarette ejected from th package by means of the strip ll, ofcourse, will have the strip ll adhering thereto, as shown in Figure 27.It will be understood that the strip may be removed from the cigaretteso that the same may be smoked. v

If it is found desirable to break the sealing stamp 8 simultaneouslywith the opening of the package in the manner shown and described in mycopending application Serial Number 275,855, filed May 26, 1939, for thepurpose specified therein, this may be accomplished by merely extendingthe free end 30 of the strip to pass underneath the stamp in the mannershown in Figure 28 so that by pulling said free end, the strip will tearthe stamp, as illustrated in Figure 29.

Obviously modifications may be made in the embodiments of the inventionherein shown and described without departing from the gist of theinvention. Therefore, any modifications coming within the scope of thesubjoined claims are to be considered within the spirit of theinvention.

What I claim is:

i 1. A cigarette package comprising: a blank of package-forming materialshaped into a shell provided with front, rear, and opposite sideportions enclosing a, plurality of cigarettes, said blank being foldedto form a top consisting of a pair of tucks extending partway across thetop of the package from the opposite side portions thereof, and a pairof flaps extending inwardly from the front and rear portions of thepackage in overlapping relation with respect to each other and with thetucks; a sealing stamp disposed transversely of the flaps to seal thepackage top; certain of the portions of said blank. folded to form thepackage top having weakened lines; and a flexible strip adhesivelyattached to one or more cigarettes adjoining the side portion of thepackage shell and associated with the flap and tuckforming portionsof'the blank and extending outwardly thereof whereby the extendedportion of the strip may be pulled to lift the last mentionedportions ofthe blank, thus providing an opening for the ejection of the cigaretteor cigarettes adhering to the strip through continued pull on thelatter.

2. A cigarette package comprising: a blank of package-forming materialshaped into a shell provided with front, rear, and opposite sideportions enclosing a plurality of cigarettes, said blank being folded toform a top consisting of a pair of tucks extending partway across thetop of the package from the opposite side portions thereof, and a pairof flaps extending inwardly from thefront and rear portions of thepackage in overlapping relation with respect to each other and with thetucks; a sealing. stamp disposed transversely of the flaps to seal thepackage top; certain of the portions of said blank folded to form thepackage top having slits; and a flexible strip adhesively attached toone or more cigarettes adjoining the side portion of the package shelland associated with the flap .and tuckforming portions of the blank andextending outwardly thereof whereby the extended portion of the stripmay be pulled to lift the last mentioned portions of the blank, thusproviding an opening for the ejection of the cigarette or cigarettesadi'ie liging to the strip through continued pull on the a er.

3. A cigarette package comprising: a blank of package-forming materialshaped into a shell provided with front, rear, and opposite sideportions enclosing a plurality of cigarettes, said blank being folded toform a top consisting of a pair oftucks extending partway across the topof the package from the opposite side portions thereof, and a pair offlaps extending inwardly from the front and rear portions of the packagein overlapping relation with respect to each other and with the tucks; asealing stamp disposed transversely of the flaps to seal the packagetop; certain of the portions of said blank folded to form the packagetop having slits; and a flexible strip adhesively associated with one ormore cigarettes adjoining the side portion of the package shell andassociated with the flap and. tuck-forming portions of the blank andextending outwardly thereof whereby the extended portion of the stripmay be pulled to lift the last mentioned portions of the blank, thusproviding an opening for the ejection-of the cigarette or cigarettesassociated with the strip through continued pull on the latter.

7 4. A cigarette package comprising: a blank of package-forming materialshaped into a shell provided with-front, rear, and opposite sideportions enclosing a plurality of cigarettes, said blank being folded toform a top consisting of a pair of tucks extending partway across thetop of the package from the opposite side portions thereof, and a pairof flaps extending inwardly from the front and rear portions of thepackage in overlapping relation with respect to each other and with thetucks, and including a sealing stamp disposed transversely of the flapsto seal the package top, said flaps having weakened lines starting atthe edges of the flaps, extending to the edges of the package top, anddisposed adjacent to the tuck at one side portion of the package shellto terminate at that edge portion of the stamp adjacent the leading edgeof the tuck at said side portion of the package shell; and a flexiblestrip adhesively attached to one or more cigarettes adjoining said sideportion of the package shell and extending along the underside aroundthe leading edge and over the upper side of the mentioned tuck andbeneath the sections of the flaps overlapping said tuck whereby theexposed portion of the strip maybe pulled to lift the tuck together withsaid sections of the flaps from the weakened lines to said side portionof the package shell, thus providing an opening for the ejection of thecigarette or cigarettes adhering to the strip through continued pull ofthe latter.

5. A cigarette package comprising: a blank of package-forming materialshaped into a shell provided with front, rear. and opposite sideportions enclosing a plurality, of cigarettes, said blank being foldedto form a top consisting of a pair of tucks extending partway across thetop of the package from the opposite side portions thereof, and a pairof flaps extending inwardly from the front and rear portions of thepackage in overlapping relation with respect to each other and with thetucks. and including a sealing stamp disposed transversely of the flapsto seal the package top, said flaps having slits starting at the edgesof the flaps, extending to the edges of the package top, and disposedadjacent to the tuck at one side portion of the package shell toterminate at that edge portion of'the stamp adjacent the leading edge ofthe tuck at said side portion of the package shell; and a flexible stripadhesively attached to one or more cigarettes adjoining said sideportion of the package shell and extending along the underside aroundthe leading edge and over the upper side of the mentioned tuck andbeneath the sections of the flaps overlapping said tuck whereby theexposed portion of the strip may be pulled to lift the tuck togetherwith said sections of the flaps from the weakened lines to said sideportion of the package shell,

thus providing an opening for the ejection of the cigarette orcigarettes adhering to the strip through continued pull of the latter.

6. A cigarette package comprising: a blank of package-forming materialshaped into a shell provided with front, rear, and opposite sideportions enclosing a plurality 'of cigarettes, said blank being foldedto form a top consisting of a pair of tucks extending partway across thetop of the package from the opposite side'portions thereof, and a pairof flaps extending inwardly from the front and rear portions of thepackage in overlapping relation with respect to each other and with thetucks, and including a sealing stamp disposed transversely of the flapsto seal the package top, said flaps having weakened lines starting atthe edges of the flaps, extending to the edges of the package top, anddisposed adjacent to the tuck at one sideportion of the package shell toterminate at that edge portion of the stamp adjacent the leading edge ofthe tuck at said side portion of the package shell; and a flexible stripconnected with one or more cigarettes adjoining said side portion of thepackage shell and extending along the underside around the leading edgeand over the upper side of the mentioned tuck and beneath the sectionsof the flaps overlapping said tuck whereby the exposed portion of thestrip may be pulled to lift the tuck together with said sections of theflaps from the weakened lines to said side portion of the package shell,thus providing a substantially square opening defined by said edge ofthe stamp and adjoining front, rear, and side portions of the packageshell for the ejection of the cigarette or cigarettes adhering to thestrip through continued pull of the latter.

'7. In a cigarette package having front, rear, and opposite sideportions, the combination of a. top portion comprising: a pair of tucksextending partway across the top portion from the side portions thereofa pair of flaps extending inwardly from the front and rear portions ofthe package in overlapping relation with respect to each other and withsaid tucks; a sealing stamp disposed transversely of the flaps to sealthe top portion, each of said flaps having a slit associated with one ofsaid tucks and disposed contiguous to one edge of said stamp; and aflexible strip connected with one or more ci arettes and folded underand over the tuck associated with said slits and under the flaps,whereby an end of the strip may be pulled to lift the tuck and portionsof said flaps defined by said slits to provide an opening for theejection of the cigarettes.

8. In a cigarette package having front, rear, and opposite sideportions, the combination of a top portion comprising: a pair of tucksextending partway across the top portion from the side portions thereof;a pair of flaps extending inwardly from the front and rear portions ofthe package in overlapping relation with respect to each other and withsaid tucks; a sealing stamp disposed transversely of the flaps to sealthe top portion, each of said flaps having a weakened line associatedwith one of said tucks and disposed contiguous to one edge of saidstamp; and a flexible strip connected with one or more cigarettes andfolded under and over the tuck associated with said weakened lines andunder the flaps, whereby an end of the strip may be pulled to lift thetuck andportions of said flaps defined by said weakened lines to providean opening for the ejection of the cigarettes. a

9. In a cigarette package having front, rear, and opposite sideportions, the combination of a top portion comprising: a pair of tucksextending partway across the top portion from the side portions thereof;a pair of flaps extending inwardly from the front and rear portions ofthe package in overlapping relation with respect to each other and withsaid tucks; a sealing stamp disposed transversely of the flaps to sealthe top portion, each of said flaps having a slittraversing the sameunder the stamp and along a line contiguous to one edge of the stamp;and a flexible strip connected with one or more cigarettes and foldedunder and over one of said tucks and under the flaps, whereby an end ofthe strip may be pulled to lift the tuck: and portions of said flapsdefined by said slits to provide an opening for the ejection of thecigarettes.

10. In a cigarette package having front, rear, and opposite sideportions, the combination of a top portion comprising: a pair of tucksextending partway across the top portion from the side portions thereof;a pair of flaps extending inwardly from the front and rear portions ofthe package in overlapping relation with respect to each other and withsaid tucks; a sealing stamp.

disposed transversely of the flaps to seal the top portion, each of saidflaps having a weakened line traversing the same under the stamp andalong a line contiguous to one edge of the stamp;. and a flexible stripconnected with one or more cigarettes and folded under and over one ofsaid tucks and under the flaps, whereby an end of the strip may bepulled to lift th tuck and portions of said 9 flaps defined by saidweakened lines to provide an opening for the ejection of the cigarettes.

11. A package shell comprising front, back and side members, one of saidside members having an extension folded down along a. fold line andacross an end of the shell to form a tuck, said front and back membershaving extensions folded down along fold lines and across said end ofthe shell and forming flaps at least partially overlying said tuck,means for securing said flaps in folded down position, said flapsincluding sections overlying said tuck only and movable independently ofsaid tuck and readily detachable from and unfoldable relatively to theremainder of said flaps along separation lines extending from the inneredges of said flaps to and terminating at the fold line between saidflaps and said front and back members, said lines of separation beingadjacent to said securing means and permitting the unfolding of saidsections without releasing the remainder of said flaps from saidsecuring means, and pull-tab means extending above and below said tuckand between said tuck and the said flap sections overlying said tuck forpulling on the inner portion of said tuck to turn it along its fold lineand detach said separable sections and turn them along their fold linesto form a spout-like member on said shell.

12. A package shell enclosing cigarettes and comprising front, back andside members, one of said side members having an extension folded downalong a fold line and across an end of the shell to form a tuck, saidfrontand back members having extensions folded down along fold lines andacross said end of the shell and forming flaps at least partiallyoverlying said tuck, means for securing said flaps in folded downosition, said flaps including sections overlying said tuck only andmovable independently of said tuck and readily detachable from andunfoldable relatively to the remainder of said flaps along separationlines extendlngfrom the inner edges of said flaps to and terminating atthe fold line between said flaps and said front and back members, saidlines of separation being adjacent to said securing means and permittingthe unfolding of said sections without releasing the remainder of saidflaps from said securing means, and a. pull strip adhesively attached tothe side of a cigarette aforesaid between the ends thereof and extendingbelow and above said tuck and between said tuck and said flap sectionsoverlying said tuck for pulling on the inner portion of said tuck toturn it along its fold line and detach said separable sections and turnthem along their fold lines to form a spout-lik member on said shell andmoving said last .named cigarette longitudinally by continued pulling onsaid strip after the unfolding of said tuck and flap sections.

13. A package shell comprising front, back and side members, one of saidside members having an extension folded down across an end of said shelland forming a tuck and said front and back members having extensionsfolded down over said end of said shell, a sealing member overlying saidfront and back members and the folded down extensions thereof and havingan edge spaced from the side member last named, said front and backmember extensions having flap sections overlying said tuck and securedthereto along edges only thereof, said flap sections being readilyseparable and unfoldable from the remainder of said front and backmember extensions without unfolding the latter and along separationlines consisting of slits crossing one another diagonally beneath saidsealing member and extending from said front and back members inwardlyand to an increasing extent under said sealing member without beingsubstantially constrained thereby, the outer ends of said separationlines terminating at the said edge of the sealing member and at the foldlines between said front and back members and their extensions, and apull strip forming a loop around said tuck and extending between saidtuck and said overlying flap sections.

BERNARD J. TAMARIN;

REFERENCE S CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

